The Weekend Reset: Boats, Planes, and a distanced Dinner Party

May 1, 2020 By Michael R| Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week we’ll pull together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” tells the story of a doomed voyage and the sailor who doomed it by shooting down an albatross. For the last week, celebrity readers including Jeremy Irons, Tilda Swinton, and Iggy Pop (Iggy Pop!?) have been participating in a serialized online reading of the poem. If you, like me, haven’t revisited this poem since you were in college — or if you’ve never read it — you’re in for a treat. I could listen to Jeremy Irons read the phone book and I’d be captivated. But this? Wow. A pinnacle of western literature. (Photo by zhao chen on Unsplash)

Speaking of pinnacles of western literature? OK, yeah. Shakespeare this ain’t. But it IS two hours of bonkers, balls-to-the-wall, out-and-out, absurdist fun. What’s particularly remarkable is that some of the movie’s most fun moments — including, ahem, THAT scene — came from a bunch of fans on the internet who were so taken by the film’s title (and casting) that they came up with absurd memes and spoof trailers that riffed on the premise. The producers loved these ideas so much they decided to do five days of re-shoots to incorporate them into the film, and it’s that self awareness that makes this movie so damn fun.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen over the last month, and for almost all of it, I’ve been listening to this record. The album’s reviews have been out of this world, and for good reason. These songs are utterly weird, deeply personal, and full of Fiona Apple’s signature observations and wit. She’s operating in a space that’s far, far beyond pop music, using found objects and even cats — cats! — to create rhythm and texture and depth. It does take a while to get into — it took me a few times listening through it before it really clicked — but since it did, it’s been all I can listen to.

For years, I thought meditation wasn’t for me. Sit in one place and think about nothing? I can’t do that! But when I finally took a meditation course, it changed my life; for the first time, I felt like I was truly able to slow myself down. But meditation isn’t just about your brain; there’s plenty of scientific evidence that meditation has other health benefits too, from lowering your blood pressure to helping you sleep. I’m a big fan of Headspace, but Insight Timer is also fantastic; a great way to recenter yourself after a tough week.

About the author: Michael Robin is an LA-based television writer. When he’s not working away on his latest pilot script, you can find him scuba diving, hosting Shabbat dinners, or goofing off with his goldendoodle, Biggie Lebowski.